Combination Washer/Dryer With A Lint Screen

ABSTRACT

The airflow exhaust system for a combination washer/dryer includes an exit duct portion to couple with an exit from a tub. A lint screen box portion is associated with the exit duct. A transition duct portion is associated with the lint screen box portion. A fan is associated with the transition duct. The fan includes an outlet to couple with an exhaust tube. A mounting assembly stationarily fastens the airflow exhaust system within a housing of the combination washer/dryer machine.

FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a combination washer/dryer machinesand, more particularly, to a washer/dryer machine with a lint screen ina stationary exhaust system.

BACKGROUND

In current combination washing/drying machines, in order to attachcomponents to the outside of the washing/drying chamber, flexible pipingis required. The piping connects to a fixed venting connection of thedwelling. The washing/drying chamber is suspended by a mass, spring,damper system to reduce the vibration of the cabinet. Accordingly, thisnecessitates flexible piping to compensate for the movement of thesuspended washing/drying chamber. Thus, this provides a flexible movableventing system within the machine housing or cabinet.

Accordingly, having the flexible piping within the cabinet can lead toundesirable noise and movement within the cabinet. Thus, the flexiblepiping is susceptible to hitting against various components thatgenerates noise. Also, the contact, over time, may wear the exhaustpiping components causing a potential leakage within the cabinet.

Accordingly, it would be desirable to have an exhaust system that isstationarily positioned within the cabinet. Having a stationarypositioned exhaust system eliminates noise of the piping hitting againstvarious components. Also, by fixing the exhaust system in the cabinet, apossibility of wear is substantially eliminated. Thus, the pipingexhaust system is not moving and therefore reduces the chance of leakagewithin the cabinet.

SUMMARY

Accordingly to a first object of the disclosure, an airflow exhaustsubsystem for a combination washer/dryer comprises an exit duct couplingwith an exhaust exit opening in a tub. A lint screen box is coupled withthe exhaust duct. A transition duct is coupled with the lint screen box.A fan includes or is coupled with the transition duct. The fan includesan outlet for coupling with an exhaust tube to outside the housing. Amounting assembly stationarily fastens the airflow exhaust system withthe housing of the combination washer/dryer. The mounting assemblyfurther comprises fasteners for coupling the airflow exhaust system witha frame member coupled with the housing. The lint screen box is securedto the frame member via fasteners adjacent a front of the combinationwasher/dryer machine. The intermediate duct is secured to the framemember via the fasteners. The fan is secured in position by the couplingwith the intermediate duct and the exhaust tube.

The combination washer/dryer machine comprises a housing defining acavity for receiving washer/dryer components including a drum and a tubpositioned in the housing. A door is coupled with the housing enablingaccess to the drum. An airflow exhaust system is coupled with thecombination washer/dryer. It comprises an exit duct coupling with anexhaust exit opening in the tub. A lint screen box is coupled with theexhaust duct. A transition duct is coupled with the lint screen box. Afan includes or is coupled with the transition duct. The fan includes anoutlet for coupling with an exhaust tube. A mounting assemblystationarily fastens the airflow exhaust system with the housing. Themounting assembly further comprises fasteners for coupling the airflowexhaust system with a frame member coupled with the housing. The lintscreen box is secured to the frame member via fasteners adjacent a frontpanel of the combination washer/dryer machine. The intermediate duct issecured to the frame member via the fasteners. The fan is secured inposition by coupling with the intermediate duct and the exhaust tube.

A frame structure is positioned in the housing. The housing includes aplurality of panels secured to the frame structure. The door ispositioned on one of the panels. The door defines a front of thecombination washing/drying machine. The lint screen clean out isremovable from the front of the combination washing/drying machine. Theexhaust tube extends from one of the panels opposing the door.

Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the descriptionprovided herein. The description and specific examples in this summaryare intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended tolimit the scope of the present disclosure.

DRAWINGS

The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only ofselected embodiments and not all possible implementations, and are notintended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a combination washer/dryer machine inaccordance with the disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a perspective rear view of the combination washer/dryermachine of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an elevation side view of the combination washer/dryer machineof FIG. 1 with a panel removed.

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the washer/dryer machine of FIG. 1 with thepanel removed.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view like FIG. 2 with panels removed.

FIG. 6 is a cross-section view of FIG. 5 along lines 6-6 thereof.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference tothe accompanying drawings.

Turning to the figures, a combination washer/dryer machine isillustrated and designated with the reference numeral 10. Thewashing/drying machine 10 includes a plurality of panels 12 that definea housing 14. The front panel includes a door 16 and a control panel 18.The panels 12 form an overall rectangular configuration that houses adrum 20 and tub 22 as well as a washing circuit 23 and drying circuit25. A framework 24 defines the infrastructure of the housing 14 andsecures the panels 12. The framework 24 includes a plurality of beams 26defining an open rectangular configuration. Additionally, crossbeams 28span between the rectangular skeleton to enhance the reinforcement andrigidity of the framework 24.

An airflow system 40 is positioned within a cavity or housing 14. Aheating exit opening 42 is on the tub enclosure 22. Thus, heated air fordrying the clothes or textiles within the drum exits through the exitopening 42. A flexible hose 44 connects the air exit opening 42 with theairflow system 40.

The airflow system 40 includes a lint screen box 50 and a centrifugalfan 52. The airflow system could be a single or multiple parts. The lintscreen box 50 is connected with centrifugal fan 52 via a transition duct54. Additionally, the centrifugal fan 52 includes an outlet connectingto the housing exhaust tube 56.

The lint screen box 50 is connected by fasteners with the beams 26 ofthe frame 24. This holds the lint screen box 50 in position on theframework 24. Additionally, the lint screen box includes a drawer 58adjacent the control panel 18 enabling a lint screen to be removed fromthe lint screen box 50. Thus, the drawer 58 enables the lint screen tobe removed from the lint screen box 50 through the front of thecombination washing/drying machine housing 14.

The lint screen box 50 includes an inlet 60 that couples with theflexible hose 44. Thus, air exiting the tub 22 is directed into the lintscreen box 50. The lint screen box 50 in the lint box removes or catcheslint exiting the tub 22 during the clothes drying cycle. The air in thelint screen box 50 is passed through the intermediate or transition duct54 via the fan 52. The centrifugal fan 52 draws a vacuum from the tub towithdraw the air from the tub 22. The centrifugal fan 52 has an outlet64 coupled with the exit tube 56. Thus, air is drawn from the drum/tubthrough the lint screen box 50 and exits the exhaust tube 56. Theexhaust tube 56 is then coupled with the interior piping of theresidence to exhaust the exhaust air to ambient.

A mounting assembly 70 stationarily secures the airflow system 40 withthe framework 24. A plurality of fasteners 72 are attached to the lintscreen box 50 to secure the lint screen box 50 with the frame structure24. Also, the lint screen box 50 includes a flange 74 that is positionedinside of an opening in the beam 26. Thus, this additionally holds thelint screen box 50 in a stationary position inside the housing.

A plurality of fasteners 76 extend from the cross beam 28 to secure thetransition duct 54 in a stationary position inside the housing 14. Thefasteners may include a bolt and a nut secured on the transition duct 54molded into it. Additionally, a bolt could extend from the transitionduct 54 and a nut could be positioned on the bolt once the bolt passesthrough the cross beam 28. The transition duct 54 is coupled with thecentrifugal fan 52. The transition duct 54 connect with the inlet of thefan 52 and is secured with the fan at the inlet opening. This enhancesthe retention of the fan 52 with the crossbeam 28. The outlet of the fan52 is coupled with the exhaust tube 56 likewise enhancing the retentionof the fan 52 within the housing. Additionally, fasteners may passthrough the beam 26 to secure with the fan 52 to hold it in positionwith the exhaust tube 56.

Thus, the airflow system 40 is stationarily positioned within thehousing 14. The fasteners and mounting assembly 70 secure the airflowsystem 40 with the framework and beams 26, 28. Thus, the airflow system40 is prevented from moving during operation of the combinationwashing/drying machine 10 during the drying cycle. This eliminatesvibration and noise that is created in prior machines during operation.Additionally, by eliminating the movement of the airflow system, thisreduces the wear of the system within the housing to prohibit voids thatcreate leakage within the housing.

The foregoing description of the embodiments has been provided forpurposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to beexhaustive or to limit the disclosure. Individual elements or featuresof a particular embodiment are generally not limited to that particularembodiment, but, where applicable, are interchangeable and can be usedin a selected embodiment, even if not specifically shown or described.The same may also be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to beregarded as a departure from the disclosure, and all such modificationsare intended to be included within the scope of the disclosure.

What is claimed is:
 1. An airflow exhaust system for a combinationwasher/dryer comprising: an exit duct portion for coupling with an exitfrom a tub; a lint screen box portion associated with the exit ductportion; a transition duct associated with the lint screen box; a fanassociated with the transition duct portion, the fan including an outletfor coupling with an exhaust tub; and a mounting assembly forstationarily fastening the airflow exhaust system within a housing ofthe combination washer/dryer.
 2. The airflow exhaust system for acombination washer/dryer of claim 1, wherein the mounting assemblyfurther comprises fasteners coupled with the airflow exhaust subassemblyfor coupling the airflow exhaust system with a frame member coupled withthe housing.
 3. The airflow exhaust system for a combinationwasher/dryer of claim 2, wherein the lint screen box portion is securedto the frame member via the fasteners adjacent a front of thecombination washer/dryer.
 4. The airflow exhaust system for acombination washer/dryer of claim 3, wherein the intermediate ductportion is secured to the frame member via the fasteners.
 5. The airflowexhaust system for a combination washer/dryer of claim 4, wherein thefan is secured in position by the association with the intermediate ductand the exhaust tube.
 6. The combination washer/dryer machinecomprising: a housing defining a cavity for receiving washer/dryercomponents including a drum and a hub positioned inside the housing; adoor coupled with the housing enabling access to the drum; and an exitduct portion coupling with an exit from the tub; a lint screen boxportion associated with the exit duct portion; a transition duct portionassociated with the lint screen box portion; a fan associated with thetransition duct portion, the fan including an outlet for coupling withan exhaust tube; and a mounting assembly for stationarily fastening theairflow exhaust system within the housing of the combinationwasher/dryer machine.
 7. The combination washer/dryer machine of claim6, wherein a frame structure is positioned in the housing.
 8. Thecombination washer/dryer machine of claim 7, wherein the housingincludes a plurality of panels secured to the frame structure.
 9. Thecombination washer/dryer machine of claim 8, wherein the door ispositioned on one of the panels.
 10. The combination washer/dryermachine of claim 9, wherein the door defines a front of the combinationwasher/dryer machine.
 11. The combination washer/dryer machine of claim8, wherein the exhaust tube extends from one of the panels opposite tothe door.
 12. The combination washer/dryer of claim 6, wherein themounting assembly further comprises fasteners coupled with the airflowexhaust subassembly for coupling the airflow exhaust system with a framemember coupled with the housing.
 13. The combination washer/dryer ofclaim 7, wherein the lint screen box portion is secured to the framemember via the fasteners adjacent a front of the combinationwasher/dryer.
 14. The combination washer/dryer of claim 8, wherein theintermediate duct portion is secured to the frame member via thefasteners.
 15. The combination washer/dryer of claim 9, wherein the fanis secured in position by the association with the intermediate duct andthe exhaust tube.
 16. An airflow exhaust system for a combinationwasher/dryer comprising: a lint screen box portion for coupling with anexhaust duct of a tub; a fan coupled with the lint screen box portion,the fan including an outlet for coupling with an exhaust tube; and amounting assembly for stationarily fastening the airflow exhaust systemwith a housing of the combination washer/dryer.
 17. The airflow exhaustsystem for a combination washer/dryer of claim 16, wherein the mountingassembly further comprises fasteners coupled with the airflow exhaustsubassembly for coupling the airflow exhaust system with a frame membercoupled with the housing.
 18. The airflow exhaust system for acombination washer/dryer of claim 17, wherein the lint screen boxportion is secured to a frame member via the fasteners adjacent a frontof the combination washer/dryer.
 19. The airflow exhaust system for acombination washer/dryer of claim 18, wherein an intermediate ductportion is secured to the frame member via the fasteners.
 20. Theairflow exhaust system for a combination washer/dryer of claim 19,wherein the fan is secured in position by the association with theintermediate duct portion and an exhaust tube.